Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of portable ice fishing shelters in general and in particular to an ice fishing shelter that can be transported by a person disposed within the confines of the shelter.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,368,057; 4,084,597; 4,239,247; and 5,749,387, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse portable ice fishing shelters.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, practical and safe portable shelter that can be transported to and from a fishing spot from within the confines of the portable shelter.
As most people who engage in ice fishing are all too well aware, variable ice conditions represent a very real and potential deadly danger that every year claims the lives of several participants in this otherwise enjoyable sport.
In addition, none of the prior art portable shelter constructions are specifically designed to keep the occupant of the shelter afloat when faced with catastrophic ice failure.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new and improved type of portable ice fishing shelter that provides a safe and secure buoyant shelter that substantially envelops the occupant of the shelter during transportation while virtually insuring that the occupant will not fall through thin spots in the ice while transporting the shelter; and, the provision of such a construction is the stated objective of the present invention.
Briefly stated, the portable ice fishing shelter construction that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general a hull unit, a cover unit installed on the hull unit and a transport unit operatively associated with the hull unit.
As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the hull unit includes a hull member having a floor surrounded by raised exterior sidewalls and further provided with an enlarged aperture dimensioned to receive the lower torso of an adult person; wherein, the enlarged aperture is surrounded by raised interior sidewalls whose height matches the height of the exterior sidewalls to define an interior well within the hull member.
In addition, the cover unit includes two mirror image shelter member halves pivotally connected proximate the midpoint of opposed sides of the hull member wherein the shelter halves each include a fabric covering that is attached along one edge to the periphery of one half of the hull member and having another edge that is affixed to a pivoted framework element.
Furthermore, the transport unit includes a pair of handle members that are affixed to the hull member so that the occupant can step into the well within the hull member and grasp the handles to lift and transport the portable shelter construction from one location to another.